Just Another Day
by Busman's Holiday
Summary: One-shot. Stendan Valentine's Day fic. It might be their "honeymoon period" of the relationship but both Brendan and Ste are adjusting to being in a relationship.


**A/N: Happy Valentine's Day everyone! Hope you enjoy this!**

**Just Another Day**

They laid still and naked; breath making skin shiver, that was tacky with a fresh dew of sweat, with the faintest of goose pimples. His body rested flush on-top, between slightly parted legs, and his cheek squashed comfortably at the start of Brendan's chest. Their bodies drummed in the post-climatic comedown in a rhythm that felt far too fast for two people who were barely moving at that moment. Ste's eyes stayed shut, his touch moving ghost-like over Brendan's collar bone. He felt Brendan's finger and thumb trace around his ear and to the downy hair at his neck, before settling with a back-and-forth motion in his hair.

Ste was sure he'd lost the feeling in his toes mid-orgasm and he was desperate to move them, but he knew shifting position now would only spoil the moment, but then he had a habit of doing that, either before or after sex, by saying something that would piss Brendan off. Like he had that very morning.

/x/

They were still in that, what Ste had heard called the 'honeymoon period' – endless sex to the point where it was hardly worth dressing – although there was still the strops (from him) and quiet anger (from Brendan) but then that usually ended up in sex as well. They both found the new status of their relationship more challenging than Ste expected, but two months before, when they'd shared a wintery kiss on a night in December, the first in a long _long_ time, Ste knew that there was no going back this time. They'd muddle through and forage some sort of relationship because what else was left for them? But months on Ste had thought, being in this passionate time of the (albeit fragile) relationship, it was time for a bit of romance.

He'd made Brendan breakfast in a "Happy-Valentine's-Day-without-making-too-much-of-a-big-deal-of-it" way, laid it out on the kitchen table (hesitated about a note and then decided against it) and had a word with Cheryl that maybe she could eat something else. He did feel a bit awkward making that kind of request in _her_ house, but when he explained she was so screechy with joy that she didn't seem to mind.

That changed somewhat when Brendan entered the kitchen, suited and baffled as to why Ste was already dressed and stood proudly by the kitchen table.

His brow furrowed and he shook his head. "No time this morning. Places to go and so on,"

"Brendan!" Cheryl said, a motherly scold in her tone as Ste's face fell in disappointment. "He's made you a Valentine's day breakfast." She nodded her head towards the great spread of every kind of continental or full English item you could dream of.

"Valentine's? What are we, girls now?" he said. As soon as the words left him, it was though the jibe slapped him in the face. His face screwed up and trying to smooth over the pain in Ste's expression, he apologised. "This is great, really great. Croissants – good, bacon – good, sausages – all of it good. Thanks." The awkwardness he delivered an apology was proceeded by Brendan sniffing and shifting closer to the door. "I'm sorry, yeah. But I've really gotta go,"

"I'll put some in the fridge for you later then," Ste said with a resigned hurt that tempered his mouth as he began hunting for cling film and as he'd turned his back, Brendan had gone.

Cheryl approached Ste and put her arms round him. "Oh love,"

"It's fine Cheryl. It's fine." He knew he was snapping a little as he shrugged her off, but he just couldn't shake the disappointment.

"You know what he's like Ste, he finds it difficult,"

"I know he does, I know that." Ste sighed and began loading the fridge. "You might as well help yourself Cheryl. I'm gonna head home."

"Oh Ste, don't go home like this. Go to the club and talk to him,"

"I'm not in the mood," Ste replied, heading off to the bedroom to collect his coat.

/x/

"Can I come in?"

Ste had begun walking away as soon as he opened the door. "If you want,"

Brendan entered Ste's poky flat, feeling grimy just staring at the walls. Ste returned to the living room carpet, where he was tidying up the mass of kid's toys.

"I didn't know,"

"Know what?" Ste asked.

"That it was Valentine's Day," Brendan said. Ste imagined his teeth gritted as he said it, but if he'd looked up at Brendan he'd have seen the embarrassment in him. Brendan pressed fingers to his forehead.

"So the themed night at the club tonight just slipped your mind too?"

"Jesus! It's just another day! So you wanted a bunch of flowers and teddy did ya?"

Ste stood and walked to the kitchen. "You know what, just piss off will you. This isn't about _stuff_ or gifts. This was just about you and me."

Brendan propped himself up against the wall of the kitchen and watched Ste's temper flicker into a pained sadness. He cooled a lot quicker these days, since the anger management.

"Stephen," Brendan began, softer, "I'm trying. _God,_ I'm trying. But this, _boyfriend_ stuff?"

Brendan shut his eyes and rested his head against the wall, his arms folded across his chest.

"I know it freaks you out and you can't handle it. I know that's not just gonna disappear overnight…" Ste said, jabbing at a plate in the sink with a scouring pad.

"You want more from me,"

Ste stopped the washing up, dried his hands on the tea towel and met Brendan's gaze. He gave an exasperated smile. "No. I just want you. But like you, I'm trying too. I'm trying to back off, give you space and time. There are times when all I want to do is run up to you and kiss you in the middle of Chez Chez! But I don't, do I?"

Brendan flicked up to meet his gaze one or twice.

"You know, if it's any consolation I was just as bad on Valentine's with Eileen,"

Ste smiled at that.

"And her cooking was shite. You, on the other hand." Brendan's tone took a different flavour as he approached Ste and pressed him against the kitchen cupboards.

"What _about_ me?" Ste flirted, crossing his arms in front of his chest as a half-hearted barrier.

Brendan's eyes darkened with a meaning they both knew. His lips hovered around Ste's mouth. "Delicious."

"Me or me food?" he teased. And the answer was given by a kiss, that knocked his elbows into a stack of plates, and felt physically more satisfying that any greetings card.

And that was how they ended up, once more, using sex to end an argument. First at Ste's, messy and frantic with groans that could be heard in the entire building and then, after a warmed up, stodgy Valentine's breakfast (taken to bed) and eaten as fuel for round two, in Brendan's bed – and probably against Brendan's bedroom door if he hadn't had his heart set on eggy soldiers.

/x/

"Fuck's sake. What you got? Bed bugs?" Brendan said interrupting the tranquil moment of their bodies pressed together.

"Toe's gone dead," Ste said, wriggling, until with a shove, Brendan pushed Ste off him and onto his back.

"Well that's the romance bit done and dusted then, is it?" Brendan added sarcastically.

Ste propped himself up on an arm and pecked him on the mouth. Before it went any further, Brendan stopped him, finger on lip.

"That was some breakfast," he said. He stroked the side of Ste's face. "Food and sex. You certainly know how to satisfy me Stephen." He pressed his hand on Ste's chest. "I love ya,"

It still knocked him back when he heard that from Brendan and he realised that despite it all, that's all that he wanted, whatever the day. "Love you too."

Brendan ran his hand down the length of Ste's body, stroking then squeezing a handful of his fleshy thigh and backside.

"Another fuck and then I'm eating that croissant," Brendan said, pinning Ste's arms above him and dragging his hips towards his pelvis.

"Sexy," Ste said, with an eye roll, then jerked out of sarcasm by Brendan's handiwork – let his head loll to the side.

"Yeah, I am."


End file.
